Skip to main content

German bridge condition under the spotlight

A new report from Germany’s federal transport ministry has highlighted the problem of bridge wear in the country. According to the report, just 13% of Germany’s road bridges and bridge sub-structures are in good or very good condition. The report evaluated the condition of 39,600 road bridges and 51,600 bridge sub-structures and in 12% of cases, these structures do not have sufficient load-bearing capacity for the stresses they have to cope with. The report highlights also the worsening condition of the bri
January 25, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

A new report from Germany’s federal transport ministry has highlighted the problem of bridge wear in the country. According to the report, just 13% of Germany’s road bridges and bridge sub-structures are in good or very good condition. The report evaluated the condition of 39,600 road bridges and 51,600 bridge sub-structures and in 12% of cases, these structures do not have sufficient load-bearing capacity for the stresses they have to cope with. The report highlights also the worsening condition of the bridge infrastructure as in 2005, 18% of bridges and sub-structures were in good or very good condition.

Some 30% of key bridge links have been improved, while plans are in hand to improve other important bridges. In all, improving the bridges and sub-structures is expected to cost around €9.3 billion, with this programme due to last until 2030. However, further works will be required in the future to ensure bridge condition continues to meet necessary standards.

Related Content

  • Florida highway rebuild project
    May 2, 2018
    Rebuilding a congested stretch of highway in Florida will cut congestion and boost safety for commuters - Mike Woof writes. Florida’s 214km-long I-4 highway provides a key transport route between Tampa and Daytona Beach, but has an unenviable reputation for both congestion and safety, with frequent delays due to heavy traffic as well as crashes. The stretch running through the city of Orlando is particularly prone to jams at peak periods, with huge traffic volumes resulting in vehicles having to slow to a c
  • Clean running haulers
    February 14, 2012
    Volvo Construction Equipment says that its all-new F-Series ADTs will meet the tough Tier 4 Interim/Stage IIIB emissions legislation as well as delivering performance improvements over previous models.
  • A new tolled highway brings change for Austin, Texas
    February 10, 2020
    A new highway section in Austin, Texas marks a major departure for the southern US city
  • Bridge safety should become a key US concern
    May 14, 2018
    Bridge safety is a key concern in the US, where so many structures are deficient - *Mary Scott Nabers. There are more than 54,000 structurally deficient bridges in the US. That designation does not mean the bridges are in imminent danger of collapsing, but it does mean that they need immediate attention. That fact becomes more alarming when one realises that every day more than 174 million motorists drive over the nation’s structurally deficient bridges. And, there are no plans for repairing the majority of